Many different devices have been constructed over the years to releasably attach trailers and other assorted devices to the rear of a vehicle. These include, but are not limited to a wide variety of ball and socket configurations. In recent years there has been increasing use in the automotive industry of square channel hitch devices that provide adaptability for a wide range of applications and include the benefit of lateral and vertical rigidity and stability when desired for a particular application. These devices are commonly known as “universal hitch receivers”. Such hitch receivers comprise a square metal channel that is mounted to the underside of a tow vehicle and projects outward, away from the back end of the tow vehicle. The channel is open at the end to receive a wide verity of hitch devices that can thereby be inserted into the channel and secured to the tow vehicle. The hitch receiver has a pair of matching pin holes positioned on opposite sides of the hitch receiver that mate with corresponding holes on the tongue of any trailer of other hitch devices. The hitch devices are designed to attach to the hitch receiver as a pin or bolt is inserted through the pin holes of the hitch receiver and corresponding holes of the hitch devices when the tongue is positioned within the hitch receiver. Typically, a cotter pin is used to retain the pin or bolt within the pin holes and the corresponding holes. However, securing such hitch devices to the hitch receiver can be cumbersome and somewhat time consuming. Additionally, users may have use tools such as pliers and hammers in order to properly position the cotter pin.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to introduce a device that can readily and releasably secure a hitch device to a universal hitch receiver with a minimal amount of effort. The present invention can be retrofitted into universal hitch receivers or can be manufactured with the hitch receivers so that the present invention is able to secure hitch devices. A locking mechanism of the present invention allows the users to easily interchange different hitch devices with the hitch receiver while an automatically engaging safety mechanism provides additional security to the present invention so that accidental separation of the hitch devices and the hitch receiver can be completely eliminated. Additionally, the users don't have to use any kind tools to secure a hitch device into the hitch receiver as the present invention provides seamless connection between the hitch device and the hitch receiver.